


Just For Tonight

by learashi



Series: Pet! Arashi [1]
Category: Arashi (Band), Johnny's Entertainment
Genre: Alternate Universe, Domestic Fluff, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-24
Updated: 2019-03-24
Packaged: 2019-11-29 08:20:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,765
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18220601
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/learashi/pseuds/learashi
Summary: One wet afternoon, while putting out the garbage, Sho makes an unexpected discovery, and he soon realizes that his life will never be the same again.





	Just For Tonight

**Author's Note:**

> So...I had this idea for an AU where Arashi members have a pet. And this pet just happens to be one of the other members. There will be various pairings to follow, but I am kicking off with Sakumoto. It was supposed to be a drabble,but it got slightly out of control. Let me know what you think.

Rain was pelting down in sheets and filling the gutters to overflowing. Although it was only four in the afternoon, the light was already fading. Sho shuddered as he opened the gate to the alleyway behind his house. It was no easy task while juggling an umbrella in one hand and several overstuffed bags of rubbish in the other. The weather was terrible, and had been for most of the day and Sho wouldn't have ventured out at all except that the rubbish was due to be collected early the next morning.  
  
Working from home had its advantages, but it meant that Sho sometimes allowed his work time to stretch into his personal time. This often resulted in housework being neglected in favour of writing another chapter of his latest travel guidebook. But a pending visit from his parents had kicked Sho into a cleaning frenzy of epic proportions.  
  
A gust of wind tugged the umbrella from Sho’s grip and sent it spinning up the alley. After hastily dropping off the bags, Sho dashed after it, finally catching up with it when it wedged itself against a stack of soggy cardboard. “Gotcha!”  
  
As Sho plucked the umbrella out of the mess, he heard a faint squeak. “Ugh! Rats?” Sho jumped back from the cardboard, catching one of its ribs on the corner of a box, which caused the stack to shift slightly. A small trembling ball of fur was revealed, cowering against the wall. Sho thought that his suspicions were confirmed and was about to rapidly retreat when the furry lump emitted a pitiful mewl. “You’re not a rat.”  
  
Crouching down, Sho edged closer to what had turned out to be a very small grey kitten. Its fur was plastered down to its thin body and it was shivering with cold. Despite its pitiful state it hissed and clawed at Sho’s hand as he attempted to pick it up. Speaking in a gentle voice, Sho tried again, holding out his hand for the kitten to sniff. “Don't worry little one, I'm not going to hurt you. Don't you want to come in out of the rain?”  
  
The kitten looked up at Sho with eyes which seemed far too large for its tiny body and hesitantly pressed its nose against Sho’s palm. Taking this as a sign of acquiescence, Sho gently scooped up the kitten and tucked it under his jacket. It seemed to weigh almost nothing, and he worried that the cold and wet might make it seriously ill.  
  
^.^  
  
“It’s a boy kitty, Sho-chan,” Aiba Masaki, Sho’s neighbour said as he examined the small hissing ball of fur which was swiping at him with tiny needle sharp claws. “He definitely looks like a Russian Blue. He is seriously undernourished though.”  
  
Sho had never been more grateful to have a veterinarian as a friend. “Is he sick? He was really shivering.”  
  
“Now that he's warmed up his temperature is normal. He seems healthy enough apart from being too thin. But you’ll soon have him in top condition if you follow my feeding plan.” Aiba tickled the kitten under the chin, ignoring the growls. He could tell that the kitten was only bluffing.  
  
“What? No...I mean...I never said that I was going to keep him. What if he has an owner already?”  
  
“He hasn't got a microchip, and nobody’s reported him as missing. It seems more than likely he was abandoned.”  
  
Sho picked up the kitten and held him protectively against his chest. “Why would someone do that to something so helpless?”  
  
“Who knows? The important thing is that he has you now,” Aiba said cheerfully, noting the way that the kitten was snuggling against Sho’s sweater.  
  
“But I don't know how to look after a kitten,” Sho protested, unconsciously running his fingers over the silky fur.  
  
“I'll give you everything you need, and full instructions. Since you mostly work from home you will be the perfect parent for such a small kitten. And before you use it as an excuse, I can already tell you that I'll babysit for you when you go on your research trips.”  
  
“I guess he would be company for me.” Sho could feel himself weakening against the combined onslaught of helpless warmth in his hands and puppy-eyes from Aiba.  
  
“It’s settled then,” Aiba replied as he walked over to his laptop and typed in Sho’s details and those of the kitten. “What are you going to name him? I need to enter it into my database.”  
  
“Um…I’ve never named a pet before.” Sho looked down at the kitten nestled in his hands. The kitten looked up at him with the most vivid green eyes Sho had ever seen, as if he was waiting expectantly. “How about Nino? It’s a cute name.”  
  
The kitten narrowed his eyes and glared at Sho in apparent disagreement.  
  
“More of a dog’s name, I would’ve thought,” Aiba said, obviously siding with the kitten.  
  
Lifting the kitten level with his face, Sho took in his appearance, which showed promise of great beauty when he was back to top condition. “Jun?”  
  
The kitten mewled loudly, rubbing his cheek against Sho’s hand.  
  
“Looks like he approves,” Aiba laughed. “Jun-chan, it is.”  
  
^.^  
  
“Here we are Jun-chan.” Sho placed his new cat carrier down in the living room. “This is your new home.”

He opened the cage but the kitten stayed huddled inside as if frightened of this new environment. Sho had already carried the supplies he needed for his new pet into the apartment. Aiba had provided a litter tray, food and water bowls and enough food for a couple of days in case Sho couldn't make it to the store.

Sho crouched down and twiddled his fingers in front of Jun, who batted at them with a soft paw. “You’re safe now. You can trust me. Why don't you come out and have a look around?”

The kitten refused to budge, sitting hunched up at the back of the carrier. Not wanting to stress out the tiny creature, Sho moved away giving him some time to adjust. Even though Jun was nervous, he was warm and safe and Sho was confident that soon he would gain enough confidence to emerge. “Okay then. You stay where you are as long as you want. In the meantime I’ll get a little work done before dinner.”

Sho didn't even stop to wonder why he was talking to the kitten as if he could understand every word he was saying. He simply figured that Jun might find the even tones of his voice soothing.

After sitting at his desk and typing quietly for a while, Sho detected movement out of the corner of his eye. Jun was padding silently around the room, sniffing at the floor. When the kitten reached the edge of the rug underneath the coffee table he growled and pounced on the fringe, chewing on it as if teaching it a lesson.

Moving slowly, Sho slid out of his chair and onto the floor. He sat quietly waiting for the kitten to come to him. After a few more pounces on the fringe, the kitten seemed satisfied that he’d shown it who was boss, and he slowly made his way to Sho. Sho sat perfectly still as the kitten sniffed along his jeans before clambering up onto his leg. Jun walked up Sho’s leg before settling on Sho’s lap. Sho lightly stroked his hand along the kitten's back from his head to his tail. Jun responded by kneading his front paws on Sho’s leg as a slightly hesitant purr made his small body vibrate. Although the kitten was thin, his fur was a shimmering deep gray with silver highlights and his eyes shone a vibrant green with a blue ring around the pupil. Sho had never thought of owning a cat before, but something in the beautiful kitten tugged at his heart.

A few minutes later the doorbell rang, startling the kitten, who dug his claws into Sho’s thigh as he propelled himself onto the floor. Jun scuttled across the room and shot under the couch. “Sorry Jun-chan. I forgot that I ordered dinner.”

When the delivery man had gone Sho tried to persuade Jun to come out from under the sofa. The tiny kitten was obviously traumatized by sudden loud noises and Sho wondered if he had been mistreated before being dumped in the alley. He tried speaking to him softly and holding out his hand, but the kitten refused to budge. The only thing Sho could think of was to lure him out with some food. He opened the takeaway container and broke off a morsel of anago, wafting it under the base of the sofa. The kitten's head closely followed the movement of Sho’s hand and he took one slow step in front of the other until he was close enough to lick the small offering. Sho scooped Jun up and held him close as the kitten nibbled the treat. “There we go little one. You had nothing to be scared of. You’re safe with me.”

Since the kitten seemed hungry, Sho poured some of the special kitten food from Aiba into a bowl and offered it to Jun. To his dismay, the kitten refused the food, turning his head away as if offended. Instead Jun looked over to Sho’s dinner, wriggling in Sho’s grasp as he tried to reach the anago. “Okay, just this once you can share my dinner since it's a special day. But in future you have to stick to your own food or else Aiba will be cross with both of us. Okay?” Jun mewed in response before attacking the flakes of anago with enthusiasm. Sho was surprised at how much food the kitten could eat considering his small stature. Even though the plate was soon empty and Jun stared at him and meowed as if asking for more, Sho stayed firm. “Aiba said that I should only feed you a little at a time in case it makes you sick. You certainly have expensive taste in food for someone who was living in an alley.”

Jun washed his face before pawing at Sho’s leg as if asking to be picked up. Sho lifted him up onto his lap, where he fell asleep draped across Sho’s thighs as Sho finished the remainder of his dinner.

^.^

Sho finished eating and looked down at Jun, who was still sleeping deeply. His little paws were twitching and his back legs jerked as he was running. His movements became more frantic and a frightened yowl escaped from him a moment before he woke. Jun pulled himself onto his feet and crouched down trembling and looking around nervously. Sho instinctively gathered Jun up and held him close, pressing him to his chest, so that the steady beat of his heart soothed the frightened little creature.

Once Jun was calm, Sho placed him down on the floor with a selection of toys which Aiba had also provided. “I just have to go for a quick shower, Jun-chan. I’ll be right back.”

Jun blinked up at Sho and batted at a brightly coloured ball with a bell inside. He seemed to enjoy the sound that it made, and he proceeded to flick it across the floor before pouncing on it.

Satisfied that the little kitten was happy, Sho ducked into the bathroom for a speed shower. He knew that he might be a little overprotective, but he didn't feel comfortable leaving Jun alone for too long, since he seemed to be a little traumatized by recent events.

After the quickest shower of his life Sho hurried back into the living room. In a hurry to see how little Jun-chan was faring, Sho wrapped a towel around his waist as he searched for the small grey kitten. Jun had abandoned the toy in favour of exploring the room. He was slowly padding around, looking at the various pieces of furniture, sniffing at them as he surveyed the area. As Sho watched, Jun came across the full length mirror near the front door. He crouched down, slowly stalking towards the kitten he saw reflected back at him. Jun hissed, fluffing his fur up until he resembled a silver puff ball. He spat and slashed at the kitten in front of him. Jumping back in fright as it did precisely the same. Startled, Jun turned tail and rushed to the safety of Sho who stood watching in amusement. Sho’s amusement turned to pain as the terrified kitten climbed up his bare legs, scratching him with needle sharp claws as he scrabbled for purchase on Sho’s skin. Once Jun reached the towel, he clung there desperately mewing and looking up at Sho as if pleading for help.

“Ow, ow, ow,” Sho yelped, hopping around as he snatched Jun up, holding him away from his body. “Jun-chan, do I look like a tree?”

Jun mewled plaintively and struggled in Sho’s hands, attempting to get as close as possible to his new owner. Sho soothed him, murmuring, “There there, little one. Nothing to worry about. You’re just frightening yourself.”

Sho tried his hardest to not laugh at the disgruntled expression on Jun’s expressive little face. It seemed as if he'd unwittingly taken on quite a handful; but at the same time it appeared that his life was about to become a whole lot more interesting.

^.^

After changing into his pyjamas Sho made up a temporary bed for Jun by cutting down one side of a cardboard box low enough for the kitten to be able to climb in and out with ease. He found one of his oldest and most worn sweatshirts and folded it up, padding the bottom of the box to make a cozy nest.

He picked up Jun and smoothed his fingers over the soft fur, as he set him down in the box. “Here you go. Nice and comfy for you Jun-chan. You should be warm enough in there for the night. Tomorrow I’ll go and buy you a proper cat bed.”

Jun stared at Sho with his mesmerizing green eyes and snagged his claws into Sho’s cuff, refusing to allow himself to be separated. Sho sat down beside the box and carefully freed Jun’s claws one at a time, murmuring softly to him. “It’s okay little one. I'm not going anywhere but to my own bed. I'm not going to abandon you. Okay?”

The kitten sniffed his way around the box and rumpled the sweatshirt into a comfortable configuration. He turned around in a circle three times before plopping himself down in in the back corner. Jun glared at Sho balefully, swishing his tail angrily. Sho was being given a very clear message regarding Jun’s opinion of his temporary sleeping quarters.

Sho reached out and tickled Jun under the chin. The kitten closed his eyes in pleasure and leant into Sho’s fingers as a soft purr filled the silence. “Fussy little thing, aren't you? I'm sorry that your sleeping arrangements don't reach your obviously high standards. But even you have to admit that my old sweatshirt is more comfortable than that dank alleyway.”

As Sho continued to stroke the small kitten, Jun’s eyes closed as he relaxed. Although he tried to stay awake, his tiny head sank down into the palm of Sho’s hand as sleep overcame him. Sho lowered Jun’s head and tucked him under the sleeve of the soft fabric of his sweatshirt. He was so small that he was hardly even visible underneath the folds of cloth. Sho stroked Jun’s head one last time, before climbing into his own bed.

Sho was almost asleep when a tiny cold nose pressed against his cheek, jerking him awake. A pair of huge green eyes gazed at him from close range. “Jun-chan you're supposed to sleep in the box, not on my bed.”  
  
The kitten turned to look briefly at the carton on the floor before turning back to face Sho. Emitting a soft mew, Jun stepped over to the pillow next to Sho’s head and curled up into a small ball. He wrapped a paw over his face, shutting Sho out, as if to cut off any further debate.  
  
“Just for tonight then, but then you will have to sleep in your own bed,” Sho said softly as he ran his fingertips over Jun’s warm fur. As a surprisingly loud rattling purr started up beside his ear, Sho couldn't hold back his smile. “Or maybe for a week or two, just until you get settled in.”


End file.
